Political Philosophy

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The MA in Political Philosophy provides students with the opportunity to get to grips with some of the central and enduring questions of political philosophy. How ought we to live? What reasons can we give for being moral? How can people with different views on the good life live together without conflict?

These are questions central to political life in the 21st century and the programme allows students to explore them with reference to great political philosophers past and present.

The core modules provide students with a working knowledge of contemporary political philosophers such as John Rawls, David Gauthier and Michael Walzer together with an investigation of the most important approaches to the history of political philosophy.

A variety of option modules allow students to study issues, connected with toleration (free speech, pornography and racism), continental political philosophy, legal philosophy, political integrity and the political philosophy of Thomas Hobbes. Students also have the opportunity to write a 13-15,000 word dissertation on a topic of their choosing.

Course Structure

The MA consists of four taught modules plus a dissertation on a topic of the student's own choice. Students must take:

* Issues in Contemporary Political Philosophy
* Approaches to the History of Political Thought

In addition students must choose two option modules from the modules available in the Department of Politics. For an up-to-date list of modules please see
The last component of the course is a 13-15,000 word dissertation on a subject of the student's choice.

Part-time

The MA in Political Philosophy may also be taken on a part-time basis over two years (24 months). Instead of taking two taught modules in the first two terms, as is the case with full-time students, part-time students will normally take one module per term over four terms (the first two terms of Years One and Two), and will then spend the rest of the time working on their dissertation.

Assessment

For both full-time and part-time students, the four taught modules are assessed by 4,000 word essays (one for each module). Taken together, the essays account for 50% of the final mark; the dissertation, which should not exceed 15,000 words, accounts for the remaining 50% of the final mark.

Essays are submitted at the beginning of the term following that in which the module was taken.

The main criterion for admission to an MA course in the Department of Politics is a 2.i BA degree or foreign equivalent.English Language RequirementsApplicants whose first language is not English must satisfy the departmental language requirements.The Department of Politics has a higher minimum level than the university more generally, because of the more difficult nature of the literature that Politics students must engage with. The requirements are: * IELTS: 6.5 (with a minimum of 6.0 in each component) * TOEFL iBT: 87 (with a minimum of 21 in each component) * Cambridge Proficiency: A,B,C English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 TOEFL iBT® test: 87 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.

For the most up-to-date information on funding at the university level please see
For the most up-to-date information on funding available through the Department of Politics please see


Please note there will be a deadline associated with obtaining funding. Students who wish to obtain funding towards their studies are advised to apply for their chosen course no later than March in the year they wish to start their course.